A great shōnen series must have an exciting and compelling cast to keep viewers engaged in the story. Kakashi Hatake first appeared in Chapter 3 of the Naruto manga. Since then, the character has gained more and more fans. Ironically, he is recognized in the community because of his mask. The reason why he wears a mask and what he looks like without it is an interesting running gag in the Naruto fandom.
Kakashi’s popularity makes sense. His character design is very appealing and his personality traits make him very popular among the audience. He also has remarkable intelligence and combat skills – including his recognizable Sharingan eye, which allowed him to copy over 1,000 different ninjutsu!
Why does Kakashi Hatake wear a mask?
Image source: Studio Pierrot
In an interview with Naruto creator Kishimoto Masashi, he said that he designed Hatake Kakashi with a face mask to fit the mysterious theme of ninjas. He planned to introduce more characters wearing masks, but found it difficult to convey their emotions. So Kishimoto eventually abandoned his plan and drew characters with real faces.
However, it would be exciting to see the main cast of the series in masks. Naruto’s core premise of the series revolves around the emotional depth and complexity of the main characters. Hiding the complexity behind a veil would have ruined the overall aspect of the series.
If all the characters in the series were masked, Kakashi wouldn’t be as famous as he is now. He would have simply blended in with the other characters and become nothing more than a supporting character. Although the origins of Kakashi’s character may have been based on a creative misstep, Kishimoto improvised his face mask in a way that benefited a specific character and drew the audience closer to him.
Source : www.comingsoon.net